A militia / m Éª Ë l Éª Ê É / is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a nation, or subjects of a state, who can be called upon for military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of regular, full-time military personnel, or historically, members of a warrior nobility class (e.g., knights or samurai).
1 The shortening method, also known as the biscuit method, is used for biscuits and scones. 2  This method cuts solid fat (whether lard, butter, or vegetable shortening) into flour and other dry ingredients using a food processor, pastry blender, or two forks.
Leavening is achieved through the use of baking powder or when using buttermilk baking soda. Biscuits are usually referred to as either baking powder biscuits or buttermilk biscuits if buttermilk is used rather than milk as a liquid. A Southern regional variation using the term beaten biscuit (or in New England sea biscuit) is closer to hardtack than soft dough biscuits.